Broken
by potato-ranger
Summary: What if... Will broke his bow during a fight? Set when Will is still an apprentice. When news that bandits have been attacking travellers, Halt and Will hunt down a gang of twelve bandits. During the fight, Will's bow breaks. What will happen then? No slash. If you have any ideas, just review or PM me. FINAL CHAPTER NOW OUT! :)
1. Chapter 1

The rain hadn't eased up even just a little. For several days it had drenched the land, flooding small farms and bogging up low-lying roads. Traders and merchants had to move slower and with more caution along these routes, to avoid being stuck in the mud. Luckily, in some parts of Redmont Fief were higher in elevation than the rest, and the roads there were relatively mud-free. But not bandit-free.

A few of the more intelligent bandits had figured out that travellers and traders tended to seek out the higher roads, so they could transport their goods quicker and with less hustle. But now the bandits had taken advantage of the fact, and lay waiting in ambush for an unsuspecting victim to pass by. They would stop the person/s and rob them of their valuables. Money, silks, and sometimes even clothing. Several of these victims had complained to the local Rangers, Will and Halt, who had decided to do something about these common thieves.

WILL'S POV

"I hate the rain". Grumbled Will, pulling the cowl of his cloak further up, shielding him from the water and wind. The oils in the cloak would keep out the rain for a while, but then the water would start to soak through, and Will knew that. He glanced at his former mentor, who was riding beside him, cloak wrapped firmly around him to hopefully keep out the elements.

"I agree, but we can't change the weather". Halt said, then instantly regretted the simple action as it dislodged a drop of water, making it trickle down his back. Will, seeing Halt's discomfort, couldn't manage to stifle a laugh. Halt just glared daggers at him, making Will laugh even harder. This caused several drops of rain to find its way under Will's cloak, and then it was Halt's turn to laugh.

"It's not funny." said Will, sniffing indignantly. Halt smiled at him.

"Yes it is."

"No it **isn't**!"

It was that moment that Tug decided to join in the argument.

_Yes it is._

Will merely stared in disbelief at his horse, who shook his mane, conveniently shaking droplets of water all over Will. The argument quickly turned into conversation, story-telling and the like. The Ranger and apprentice were so engrossed in their stories that Halt nearly missed Abelard's warning.

GERALD'S POV

Gerald was a very experienced bandit, and had robbed quite a few dozen travellers and merchants in this lifetime, so he had been promoted to the title of 'head bandit'. Not long after, when the gang's scout had returned with the news that most of the other main roads in Redmont Fief were bogged with mud, Gerald hadn't hesitated in taking the opportunity to move next to one of the only accessible roads left. Because of this, the gang had several heavy purses filled with money, and fine new clothes. Life was good.

Now Gerald was leaning against a fallen log, under the tarpaulin shelter his men had set up as shelter from the rain, taking a nap. Or he had been. The 'thud, thu-thud' of horse's hooves snapped him awake, looking around for an attack. Gerald relaxed slightly when he saw it was one of his scouts, the one assigned to signal when a traveller or travellers were making their way along the road.

"There are two men approaching. Both on horses." The man reported.

Gerald saw the unease on the man's face, and glared at the man. He was hiding something. No-one should dare keep secrets against him. Eventually, the rider couldn't bear the silence, and spilled the information.

"Well… um… sir, the two men, they-they're Rangers, sir. One is no older than a boy, the other an old man… sir" the scout blurted out, refusing to meet Gerald's eye. Now this caught Gerald's attention. Ranger's where not to be messed with, especially when there were two of them. If his men were to attack them, then people would die. But Gerald's pride was bigger than his head. He thought that his men, numbering around a dozen, could easily overpower the two Rangers.

His mind made up, Gerald motioned for his men to gather around.

"There are two Ranger's coming along the road…" the crowd of bandits whispered fearfully amongst themselves. Gerald glared at them until the muttering died away. He continued.

"There are **two** Rangers and **a dozen** of us! One of them is little more than a boy, and the other an old man! Besides, we outnumber them six to one! Arm yourselves men and take up positions."

The bandits bustled around, picking up swords, spears and other weapons, then moving into position. Gerald had carefully planned the site of the ambush carefully, around a bend in the road with thick undergrowth on either side. The attack plan was simple. Four men would wait on the other side of the road, and when the victims walked around the bend, they would attack. When the victims were fully engaged, Gerald and the remaining bandits would attack from behind, ensuring a swift victory.

Gerald smiled, more like a wolf showing its fangs to its prey than a smile. The Ranger's wouldn't see them coming, until it was too late. He sighed, this would be too easy.

WILL'S POV

"Halt? Do you think the bandits will attack?" Will asked, peering over at his mentor, who was slouched over Abelard's neck.

"Yes. Why wouldn't they?" Halt replied.

"I mean… there are two of us… and we are Rangers, sooo… I just thought…"

"You're an apprentice, you're not ready to think," Halt said, smiling slightly as he saw Will's reaction.

"Look Will. If you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that there are at least a dozen bandits surrounding us. In the forest."

It took all of Will's self-control to not look around at the dense foliage surrounding them on both sides of the road.

"What do we do Halt?" Will was still an apprentice, and therefore regarded Halt as somewhat of a hero. Afterall, Halt always knew what to do.

"My guess is that a few of them will engage us, and while we're distracted, the others will rush us from behind. It's a pretty effective tactic if you think about it. Highly effective."

That didn't reassure Will in the slightest.

"But we won't let them, right?" Will asked.

"Of course we will. We need to get rid of these bandits, and if we let them know that we know about their plan, then there is a chance that one or two will get away, and continue to attack travellers."

"But…"

"No time for buts Will. They're coming."


	2. Chapter 2

**Shoutout to all those who reviewed, favorited or followed the story! You guys deserve a gold star, or a silver oakleaf!**

_RAPJ_**: Thx so much! I did enjoy my birthday, and here's the next chapter!**

_HB47_**: Thx. I do know who you are, but the way you worded it was creepy. Just saying. **

_ArieaCannaid_**: I hope this is considered an 'exciting tale'. Here's the next chapter!**

**I updated this late because it was my birthday on the 4th of Feb, (the second day of school), and all the homework we get in Yr 9. **

**But here's the next chapter anyways!**

**KEEP CALM AND TRUST THE CLOAK!**

**CHAPTER 2.**

Four horsemen galloped out from the forest, screaming battle cries and brandishing an assortment of weapons above their heads. And those weapons were soon dropped when Halt and Will's arrows slammed into the men, sending them crashing into the mud without a sound, laying ominously still. The four riderless horses slowed to a trot, and stopped completely when no rider urged them on.

"Other side Will!" Halt shouted, wheeling Abelard around and drawing an arrow. Will copied his actions.

But in the few seconds it had taken them to deal with the four horsemen, Gerald had signalled for his men to attack. They galloped out from the bushes, and rapidly closed the distance between them and the Rangers.

Halt managed to take down two of them, and Will shot one, but there were still five men charging at them.

"Keep shooting Will!" Halt yelled, throwing his bow a safe distance away and urging Abelard into the incoming horsemen. He had drawn his saxe and throwing knife and was now slashing, stabbing and cutting at the enemy. Will was behind and slightly beside Halt, and took the opportunity to fire at the bandits. Unfortunately for him, most of his arrows glanced off the shields the bandits carried, or harmlessly thudding into the metal covered wood. Still, one or two found their way around the shields, managing to penetrate arms and legs.

By now Gerald had seen Will, and directed two of his uninjured to follow his lead and attack the Ranger shooting at their comrades. Together, they charged Will, brandishing swords and clubs, who saw them a bit too late.

Unable to unsheathe either of his knives or fire an arrow, Will was left almost defenceless as Gerald raised his club, planning on crushing Will's skull. So Will did the only thing he could think of. He brought his bow up, into the path of the descending club.

Will winced as the club cleaved his bow in half, sending splinters flying. As his bow shattered, so did his heart. He was vaguely aware that Gerald backed his horse away from him, yelling a command as he did so. Will was hastily drawn from the haze of grief, as the other bandits were upon him.

Will drew his knives whilst dropping the broken remains of his bow. He narrowly avoided being stabbed, and deflected an overhead cut before urging Tug to wheel around on his hind legs, confusing his attackers. Seizing the opportunity, Will launched into a series of attacks. Thrust… cut… parry… thrust… overhead cut… backhand cut… parry… thrust… . He didn't bother to watch as one attacker fell from his saddle, landing with a muffled thump on the muddy road. The riderless horse retreated from the metallic stench of blood, galloping away into the forest.

Will deflected a thrust, and threw his throwing knife into the remaining bandit's throat, killing him instantly.

It was then Gerald decided to attack.

Gerald watched as Will killed his henchmen with almost contemptuous ease, a safe distance away from the boy. He saw how young his opponent was, no more than a mere boy. He believed that although Will was a Ranger, he would stand no chance against himself.

That's where Gerald had made a mistake. Will was no simple merchant or traveller, who would tremble with fear at the first sign of an attack. Will was a Ranger's Apprentice. And even an apprentice would be difficult to deal with. But again, Gerald's pride overcame him, and he spurred his horse forward, charging the youth before him, club poised to kill.

If only it were that easy to kill a Ranger.

Will turned around in time to see Gerald galloping at him, and only had a few seconds to throw his saxe knife, hitting Gerald in the shoulder. Screaming in agony, the lead bandit clutched feebly at his shoulder, the movement hindered by the club and shield.

But now Will was defenceless, and Gerald recovered quickly. Throwing away the constricting shield, Gerald swung with his club, and Tug had to back away to avoid his master's skull being shattered. But Will, still consumed by grief and unbalanced, was never ready for the follow-up stoke. The club smashed into Will's side, and he heard several sickening cracks as his ribs gave way. Ignoring the flaring pain, Will grabbed a striker, silently thanking Halt for reminding him to screw them together earlier on.

Pulling his arm back, he threw the striker at Gerald, hitting him in the forehead. The force behind the throw (Will being only a meter or so away), was enough to cave the bandit's skull, killing him instantly.

Will watched, emotionless, as Gerald toppled from the saddle, landing with a muffled thud on the ground, before events caught up with him.

His bow.

Will swung down from Tug's saddle, forgetting that he was injured. He let out a gasp as the movement caused his side to burn with fire, and nearly collapsed. Tug saw his master swaying, and moved forward, allowing Will to lean on him, nickering in concern. Will ignored Tug, something he wouldn't normally do, and instead searched feverishly for his bow. Or what remained of it.

There! He limped forward, still leaning on Tug and clutching his side, to where the fragments of wood lay. The sight caused Will to fall to his knees, and he let out a choked sob. Gingerly picking up the two shattered limbs, he let tears cascade freely down his cheeks, leaving rivulets in the blood and mud that stained his face.

He ran a shaking hand over the polished wood, thinking. This was the bow that Halt had given him on his birthday. (_Authors note: Will now has a birthday cause I'm sick and tired of him being sad and lonely and not knowing stuff about himself.)_

It was the first time anyone had given him a present on his birthday. It was precious to him beyond measure. When his bow had shattered, so had his heart.

He distantly heard someone shouting his name, but he ignored it. He was too busy grieving the loss of his beloved bow.

Halt dispatched the last remaining bandit with ease. The odds of five against one hadn't bothered him. But where was Will? Halt had expected Will to shoot a few of his attackers, but there had been almost no sign of him after the volley of arrows. Will hadn't joined him in the hand-to-hand fighting, as Halt expected him to. But Will hadn't shown up.

Suddenly, Halt remembered that two bandits had left the main fighting group and galloped away behind him. That was where Will was.

The realisation came crashing down on the grizzled Ranger, who desperately searched the road for any sign of his apprentice. What if he was hurt? Or dead? Halt regarded Will as the son he had never had, and just the thought of him getting injured was almost too much to bear.

A glimpse of movement caught Halt's attention and his keen eyes could only just make out the kneeling form of his apprentice, as Will was still huddled in his Ranger cloak.

"WILL!" Halt shouted, galloping towards his apprentice.

Will was facing away from Halt, so he couldn't see if Will was injured or not.

Fearing the worst, Halt practically leaped from the saddle and dropped to his knees besides his apprentice.

"Are you okay? What happened? Will? Are you hurt?" The torrent of questions spilled from Halt's mouth, fear and worry preventing him from staying calm.

His eyes scanned Will's body for any sign of an injury, and found none. But that didn't make sense. Will was hunched over, his face screwed in a grimace and breathing heavily, so he was obviously injured.

"Where does it hurt?" Halt asked, hands poking and prodding Will to find the injury. He paused his searching when Will suddenly cried out in pain as Halt's hands brushed his side. Halt gently lifted up Will's shirt, flinching slightly when he saw the bruising on his apprentice's side. Assessing the damage, Halt found Will had broken two of his ribs. Thankfully, they hadn't caused any internal damage. Pulling off his own cloak, Halt ripped it into long strips, and wound them tightly around Will's torso, who gasped in pain at the increased pressure on his ribs. Once that was done, Halt leaned back, and only then did he notice that his apprentice's shoulders were shaking. Was Will crying?

"Will, what's wrong?" he asked, the fear that had abated came rushing back in like a flood.

" 'M fine." Will managed to choke out, his voice shaking.

"Then what's the matter?" Halt queried, somewhat puzzled by his apprentice's actions.

"Bow" was all Will managed to say, before he broke down again.

Only then did Halt see what Will was holding. His bow, or what remained of it. Understanding dawned on Halt as he studied the fragments of wood. This was the bow that he had made for Will, and given it to him for his 16th birthday. **(**_**Author's note: I gave Will a birthday, cause why not?)**_ It was the first present anyone had ever given him, and it was precious to him beyond measure. No wonder Will was crying.

"Oh Will, it was just a bow. It can be replaced." There was a soothing gentleness in Halt's voice that Will had rarely ever heard before, and he turned to look up at the grizzled face of his mentor.

"It wasn't just a bow. It was a gift from you Halt. It can't be replaced." With that, fresh tears started to cascade down Will's face and he looked away.

The sight of Will crying and the broken voice in which he spoke was enough to bring tears to Halt's own eyes, a feat that had rarely been accomplished before. He regarded the shattered remains of Wills bow with sadness. It was broken beyond repair, and Will knew that. All Halt could do now was to comfort his apprentice.

So he embraced Will, avoiding his broken ribs and muttered gentle words of comfort. This way, Will couldn't see the single tear that Halt shed.

After several minutes, Will's sobs slowly died away to nothing, and Halt let go of his apprentice. He carefully gathered the fragments of wood, and wrapped them up in what remained of his cloak. Standing, he carefully helped Will up, who screwed his eyes shut as the movement jostled his ribs. Halt signalled to Tug, who knelt down in front of Will, making it easier for him to sit in the saddle. Halt mounted Abelard as Tug stood up again, nickering at his master. Will smiled slightly and patted Tug's neck, whispering something that sounded suspiciously like "_I'm fine. Stop being a worry wart." _Tug merely tossed his head and shook his mane.

"Let's go home Will." Halt said, turning Abelard around.

With that, they both rode off into the sunset.

**(**_**Author's Note: I was sick and tired of the rain, and thought that them riding away into the sunset would have been a nicer way to end the chapter.)**_

**The story isn't finished yet! One more chapter to go!**


	3. Chapter 3

***peeks out from behind rock and waves shyly* "Hey, you remember me?"**

**Anyways, I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T POST THIS CHAPTER EARLIER, but Yr 9 is crazy now, with essays and tests almost every week! I'm so sorry guys, but I hope u haven't given up on this story yet…**

**Well, without any further delay, ladies and gentlemen, potatoes and watermelons alike, I present to you the third and final chapter of this story!**

_A few months later…_

It was Christmas Eve in Araluen. Feasts were being prepared, fires lit and people were singing.

Halt, Will, Crowley and Gilan had gathered in Halt's cabin to celebrate, and were in the process of demolishing the food and drink. It was as if they hadn't eaten for a decade. Luckily for them, there was plenty to go around, thanks to Jenny's generous donation. After all, she could hardly refuse when it was Gilan who asked her for it.

Christmas was one of the rare occasions on which Rangers could afford to let down their guard and relax. And that was what the friends were doing. This was a time of joy, laughter and friendship.

The fire crackled cheerfully in the fireplace, filling the cabin with warmth and a warm orange glow. Outside, snow was falling steadily, coating everything in it's frosty flakes.

Will was busy playing a soft, jolly tune on his mandola, while Gilan joked around and made everyone laugh, even Halt. All in all, it was a perfect night to celebrate Christmas.

After the food had been finished, for it had simply disappeared from the plates, not leaving even a single crumb behind, the singing had been sung, and laughs had been laughed, now it was time for the presents.

Crowley opened his first, revealing a large box of extremely sticky toffee. '_Hopefully your teeth will stick together and you'll stop making that shrieking sound which you call music'. _Said Halt's letter, making everyone laugh. But they laughed even harder when Crowley tried a piece, and exactly that happened.

Wiping away tears of laughter, Gilan reached for his present. The joy on his face shone like the sun when he revealed what it was. An expensive leather bound journal and a set of charcoal pencils. Gilan loved to draw ever since he was little, and this was a dream come true for him. They wouldn't be seeing him for a while.

Halt's present was a different matter altogether. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry. For his present was none other than a self portrait of himself, complete with every detail of a grumpy looking Halt. As for everyone else, they found it hilarious, and their laughter doubled when Halt's expression matched the drawing perfectly. After the laughter had died down, Will looked around for his present, and the grin faded from his face when he found there was none.

Halt had seen the change in his apprentice's demour, and soon figured out the reason behind it.

"Your present's in my room", he said while nudging Will towards his bedroom door. Will complied and walked the short distance to the door. Opening it, he glanced around and saw a long, narrow shape wrapped in cloth lying on the bed. His curiosity piqued, it took all of Will's determination not to open it there and then, so instead he walked back to where his fellow Rangers were seated. Plopping down on the couch, Will wondered what the present was as he set it down delicately on the table. Maybe it was a bundle of new arrows? Or maybe a new bow case? Or maybe… a new bow?

"Come on Will, open it." Halt encouraged, Gilan echoing him seconds later. Slowly and cautiously, not knowing what to expect, Will unwrapped the present. What was revealed made his heart leap into his throat.

A beautiful longbow lay on the table before him. The wood was polished till it shone, and an oakleaf was carved into the wood, above the grip. New leather, soft and unblemished, wrapped around and around the middle of the bow, providing the most comfortable grip possible. Gently picking it up, Will professionally strung it and drew the string back as far as it would go. The draw weight, height, weight and balance was perfect. This was even better than the bow he had gotten for his birthday! It certainly exceeded the replacement he had gotten, which was plain and utilitarian in the extreme. And judging from the knowing glances Halt and Gilan were shooting at each other, they were the ones who had made the bow. This was the best Christmas present anyone had given him! In fact, it was probably the best gift he had received at all, Will thought joyfully, and he couldn't stop the grin that lit up his face.

Will rushed forward, embracing his mentor and sending an unexpecting Halt staggering back a few paces. After Halt realised that his apprentice wasn't attacking him, Halt wrapped his arms around Will, who was close to sobbing from joy.

All the while, Crowley and Gilan watched in silence, not wanting to interrupt the moment Halt and Will were having. Knowingly, they glanced at each other, and understood that no other mentor and apprentice would ever have this special relationship with each other.

Voice cracking from emotion, Will managed to whisper two words which only Halt could hear.

"Thank-you".

_A few weeks later..._

Will grunted as he hauled himself higher into the tree. He was already half way up, and the ground looked to be a mile away. At the bottom, an anxious Tug stared up at his master, whining nervously and hoping Will wouldn't fall. Now you may be wondering why Will was climbing up a random tree, and there is no reason to why other than 'because he wanted to'.

As a matter of fact, Will was 'escaping' from being bombarded with household chores. Funnily enough (although there was nothing funny about it), Halt still insisted on Will doing the housework, even though he was a few mere weeks from graduating and getting his silver oakleaf.

Grabbing another branch, Will hauled himself higher still, and caught sight of the wooden cabin below him. The tree he was climbing was one that grew right on the edge of the clearing in which the cabin had been built. While Will was lost deep in his thoughts, he didn't realise that the branch he had grabbed was old and rotting. So when he transferred all his weight onto that branch, disaster struck.

The branch, unable to hold his weight, broke underneath Will, sending him tumbling back down to earth. Will had never ever fallen out of a tree, so he didn't know what to do as he plummeted. So when he crashed into the branches that he had so recently climbed up, he didn't cover his head.

And when Will finally reached the ground (which took a while), he was covered in bruises, winded and had a massive headache. Not to mention that, but he had heard a loud '_crack'_ as he had landed on the hard earth, but h had felt no stabbing pain that would indicate a broken bone.

Than what had broken?

Oh no… not again. Despair filled his heart as Will slowly sat up (he had landed flat on his back), and slid his bow free of his cloak. No no no no no NO! The once whole bow had snapped halfway, the two beautifully carved limbs dangling uselessly, joined only by the bowstring. Will bowed his head and stared at the bow in disbelief.

He had only just gotten a new bow, and now he had broken it again. What would Halt say when he found out? Would he be mad, angry, disappointed?

But whatever Halt would think wouldn't matter. All that mattered was the broken remains of his bow which he clutched in his hands. He had broken two of his bows, both had been gifts from Halt as well!

So while Tug snorted and nudged his master, Will stared at the remains of his bow.

Shattered…

Useless…

Broken...

**Well?**

**What did you think about that ending? Bet you weren't expecting that! **

**Hehehehe…**

**Anyways, if any of you guys out there have a story you want me to write, or an idea for me, plz PM me or type it in the Review. **

**Thx so much for reading this and I hope you enjoyed!**

**KEEP CALM AND TRUST THE CLOAK!**

**-potato-ranger out**


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